Dissecting the journey: nursing student experiences with collaboration during the group work process

Since the outset of nursing care, group work processes have evolved into essential components of a nurse's role and responsibilities within the health care system. To reflect this trend, group work is often utilized as a medium to promote professional socialization in undergraduate nursing curricula. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the ways undergraduate nursing students experience collaboration during group work activities. Braun and Clarke's (2006) theoretical thematic analysis combined with Pollio et al.'s (2006) interpretive framework was utilized to capture the students' lived experiences regarding group work. The participants of this study consisted of 96 undergraduate students enrolled in a nursing program in Canada. Written descriptions of their perceptions of their group work practices were analyzed to determine the extent to which these adhere to the collaborative practice essential elements (Jones and Way, 2006). Analysis of the results revealed an unexpected element of collaboration that of the psychosocial element in group work. The results from this study expose advantages and disadvantages of group work processes during group work in nursing education. This type of insight is valuable for educators to prepare nursing students for the complex demands of working with interdisciplinary teams.